Starry Night
by Paper Bullet
Summary: Unknowingly drawn together by a common interest of silence, Hitsugaya and Rukia sit together at night, no words said. But when obstacles get in the way, they may have to end their nightly visits. Warning: May contain drama and extreme jealousy. HitsuRuki
1. Twilight Midnights

_Pairing_: Hitsugaya T. and Rukia K._  
Genre_:Romance/Drama (and many other sub-genres)_  
Rated_:M to be on the safe side.  
_Setting_:Somewhat AU. Takes place in the Soul Society, as if Rukia, Ichigo, and co. had stayed after the Rukia's Execution arc. Rukia is lieutenant instead of unseated, because I said so and if it weren't for Byakuya she'd be there.

_Summary_:Rukia likes to sit on the tops of buildings, when all is quiet, and the stars are out. When Hitsugaya discovers this, he finds himself joining her. But when many obstacles from many opposing people intervene, they may have to end their peaceful nights.

_Beginning Note_: This is my first attempt at this pairing, and I'd like to thank Evilmoose's White Phoenix for getting me hooked on it. Hooray for crack pairings! I'll try my best to keep them in character ;)

**Starry Night**

_Twilight Midnights_

Some things are better left unsaid, and sometimes even unthought-of. For Rukia, they were both true, but hard to abide by. Sitting atop one of the many buildings, silence and tranquility surrounded her. Most shinigami were asleep, save the few captains who stayed up late doing work, and also some who were just hanging around. But for the most part, it was quiet, and the slight murmurs of people below her went unnoticed.

Bleach white stars littered the clear, navy sky, creating a most appreciable atmospheric view. The quarter moon stuck out prominently, as if mocking the small size of the dots speckling around it. It was peace. And it provided a most satisfactory setting for Rukia to allow her thoughts to run wild. '_Something tells me that he felt obliged to save me._'

Ah, still on those memories. While she now had come to terms with being saved, she was quite angry at first reaction when Ichigo saved her. She had planned to resign herself to death, and in fact, she already had. But now that she appreciated the notion of being saved, she wondered if it was because he truly cared, or because he felt guilty.

This was what she loved about sitting there, under Mother Nature's skies. She was free to think as selfishly as she wanted without guilt tugging at her conscience because no one was around. No one was there to maybe read her thoughts and scold her about how she should just be grateful. She could just..._think_.

Hitsugaya bounced from rooftop to rooftop, making his way back to headquarters. He would undoubtedly find Matsumoto stretched across the couch with a pile of paperwork next to her. Uncompleted paperwork, that is. He stopped on one of the buildings and glanced around. It was a nice night out, he noted. He then continued his jumping until he came across an unexpected sight. He knew who she was just from the back of her head, even if he barely knew her. "Lieutenant Kuchiki," he said quietly. It came out as a reprimand, strong and sturdy. But inwardly it was peaked from curiosity.

Rukia turned around to see who was distracting her from her alone time. Her back straightened and she stood up. "C-Captain Hitsugaya..."

"You should be sleeping Lieutenant. Captain Ukitake is known for his workload," he said in a monotonous tone, as if she didn't know her own captain.

Rukia couldn't help but notice the resemblance between his attitude and her brother's. They both almost never showed any sign of emotion. And though Rukia was starting to be just the same (for Byakuya had influenced her more than she thought), she still loosened up around her friends. In fact, she was quite the character around most of her squad, Ichigo, Renji, and a select few others. "I can handle it, but thank you for your concern, Captain."

Hitsugaya glanced upward and took a gander at the midnight sky. He almost lost his train of thought, taken aback by its beauty. He looked down to the young shinigami and gave her a slight nod before taking off again.

Rukia bowed slightly, and waited until he was out of sight before sitting down once more. '_I wonder how Lieutenant Hinamori ever dealt with him._' And once again, she was thankful for the privacy her thoughts permitted her.

Hitsugaya arrived at his office and walked inside. Not to his surprise, Matsumoto was asleep. With pretty much all of her day's work on the floor. His eye slightly twitched. "Matsumoto!"

* * *

Rukia walked down the hall, every so often getting a greeting from her subordinates. She walked into her captain's office to gather her work for the day.

"Ah, Rukia. Running late today I see?" he teased her.

"Wha-What? I'm not late!" she said and looked around his office for a clock.

He chuckled slightly. "No, no. You're never late," Ukitake replied and then looked down at his desk. "I need you to deliver some documents and a few packages for me, and then you'll have your usual paperwork to do. So if you finish early..."

"Got it!" she exclaimed, rushing to his desk and grabbing the pile of papers he needed to be delivered. If she finished early, she'd have no more work! She wouldn't waste any time if that was the case. "I'll be back to grab my paperwork later, Captain." she said and bowed, then left and quickly started her errand.

"4th Division..." she muttered, reading where the first package would go. She used her shunpo to get there quickly.

"Good morning Lieutenant Kuchiki." Captain Unohana greeted.

"Good morning Captain." she bowed and handed her the package.

Rukia wondered what were in the packages she delivered, and why Ukitake had her do it. She shrugged as she headed back to her division, having finished her first assignment. She grabbed her work for the day and headed to her office where she busily scribbled down endless words, determined to finish before too much longer.

In a few hours, she stared down at her throbbing hand. "Does he want me to get Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or something?" She winced, shaking her wrist to relax her strained muscles. Looking down at her work proudly, she smiled.

Where to go first? That was the question. Maybe she would bug Renji today. Or maybe Ichigo. Decisions, decisions. She was forced to pick Renji, however, seeing as he was heading in her direction.

"Off early?" Renji asked, looking down at his petite best friend.

Rukia nodded. "Yeah, you?"

"Yup."

"Let's go see if Ichigo's off, too." she said, feeling warm inside. It was rare that she, Renji, and Ichigo all were off at the same time. And when they were, they wasted no time celebrating the fact.

Renji walked into Ichigo's office, giving him a small "Hey."

Rukia stood angrily behind Renji, who was rudely blocking the way and view. "Would you move?!" she yelled, shaking angrily as her attempts were futile to get around him.

"It's not his fault you're so damn short." Ichigo commented as Renji moved to the side and Ichigo walked out.

Rukia's eyes narrowed. "It's not my fault you're an idiot!"

Renji caught sight of some young shinigami walking by the feuding two, shooting them awkward looks and whispering amongst themselves. "Would you two quit? You're making a fool of yourselves!" Renji snarled.

Ichigo let go of his grip on Rukia's head, which further mocked her vertical loss.

* * *

"See ya." Ichigo waved as he headed back toward his barracks for the night.

Renji nodded. "Well, hopefully we'll all be off again sometime soon. See ya Rukia."

Rukia flashed him a small smile and started walking toward the 13th division. The sun was setting fast, and the moon was already out. People became scarcer by the minute. When it was relatively dark, Rukia jumped on top of the roof of her division and took her usual seat under the stars.

She sighed as she thought about her friends. They were really great guys, and she didn't know what she'd do without them. She lay on her back, folding her hands behind her head as a makeshift pillow. The sky was her ceiling, and she immensely preferred the outdoors as opposed to her room.

Toushiro walked along the 13 Division's grounds at a slow pace. He strolled down the cement, noticing the fact it was yet again a beautiful night. It was quieter than usual, and for the first time in a while, no one was outside. The quietness was nice, and he took in a cool, refreshing breath. After holding it in for a moment, his lungs exhaled with a sigh.

Icy eyes glanced upward and caught sight of someone lying along one of the rooftops. '_Does she come out here every night?_' he mused. In one fluid motion, he jumped up to the roof and landed gracefully with an ever-so-slight 'thud'.

Rukia let out a small "Eh?" and tilted her head back slightly, an upside down Hitsugaya in her line of sight. She quickly scrambled up, embarrassed at her lack of posture.

"Don't fret, Lieutenant." he reassured her. Once he saw her sit back down, he sat in his spot as well. His eyes traveled to the sky once more. He didn't make small talk, nor did he usually engage in it. So there he sat, in silence.

Rukia looked to him quizzically. "Uhm...I can leave if you'd like, Captain."

Without even sparing her a glance, he simply replied, "It's not necessary. You are welcome to stay. After all, you were here first."

Rukia nodded, not being able to help the small upturn of the corners of her lips. She rested back on her hands, looking up at that unreachable horizon. Okay, so she wasn't alone tonight, but she may as well have been. Hitsugaya looked like he had no intention of saying anything, and she was somewhat glad. She felt as if she wasn't so weird for wanting a quiet night, just staring at stars, because the Captain a few feet away from her seemed to enjoy it, too.

* * *

Rukia yawned from her bed, stretching her limbs out. Boy did she get a good sleep. Her hair was in a frazzle. Major bedhead. She laid there for a moment, looking at the stark white ceiling above her. She was not a morning person, but she was tolerable.

She already had a feeling that today was going to be a long day. Because, like everything else in the Soul Society, things were well-balanced. Everything was equal. And because she had slack work yesterday, today would be Hell.

Slipping on her uniform, she donned her white sash and tied it securely. She slid open her door, only to feel something wet crash into her face. She reached up and stripped the red piece of the popped balloon from her cheek and stared down evilly at the offender.

"L-L-L-Lieutenant...Kuchiki...I-I-..." stuttered a very frightened soul reaper, "I was aiming for my friend and..." he pointed to a boy on his left, who was clearly giving him the 'don't drag me into this' sign.

"Don't you have some work to attend to?" and before he could answer, she added, "Then get to it!"

"Y-Yes Lieutenant, s-sorry." he replied, bowed, and then quickly scurried off.

Since when did Soul Society get water balloons? She had thought that was only something from the human world.

She rushed toward her Captain's office, having been late due to the previous incident.

"Why are you so wet?"

"I uhm...I..."

"No time for that. Today I'm having you train some of the academy students is preparation for their placement exams." Ukitake interrupted and looked up at her. "Unfortunately, you have the class of students who are having a bit of trouble keeping up with where they need to be."

Rukia smiled. "No problem."

After making her way to the academy, Rukia was given her tasks and class. "Alright, who'd like to go first?" she asked, holding a long stick in her hands. She nodded toward a female who raised her hand. "No, no, your stance is all wrong."

This really _would _be a long day.

* * *

Hitsugaya sat at his desk, scribbling away at the papers in front of him. He liked this feeling. This feeling of being busy, needing to do something. Because face it, if he didn't have any work, he'd be at a lost. What would he do? Go drinking with Matsumoto? No. Most definitely not. He knew. He'd probably keep to himself and just think. Like...

Looking up to the stars. Heh, ironic. His mind wandered back to the previous night. He'd never known someone who simply wanted silence. His first thought, to be honest, was that she was too intimidated to start up a conversation. But then he thought of her ties. Her brother was Byakuya Kuchiki. She was good friends with Ichigo Kurosaki and Renji Abarai. There's no way she was the innocent, quiet, little, timid member of the group. So he had concluded they were alike in the sense that peace was what they enjoyed.

Gahh, why was he being distracted? He had work to do! He looked back down at his papers to see that he had only a few left. Wow, that had gone fast. Signing his name at the bottom of the last one, he set down his pen and stared forward. Oddly enough, he didn't feel like being alone. But...he didn't feel like talking.

He knew how to solve his problem.

Bouncing from rooftop to rooftop, his assumption that Rukia Kuchiki would be on one of them was correct. He sat down a few feet away from her, his stoic expression unflinching.

Rukia glanced his way with her mouth slightly open in small shock he was there again. She then closed her lips and smiled before laying back and staring upward. When she saw a light flash across the sky, she cupped her hands together quietly and closed her eyes. "Quick, make a wish." she commanded, forgetting her formalities.

Hitsugaya looked over to her curiously. Was she so childish and naive that she actually thought those things worked? Maybe he had overestimated her personality.

"I know it's silly, but whenever Renji and I saw one in the Rukon Disctrict when we were kids, we'd always wish on it to escape that place." she said softly. And after dozens of wishes, it had finally worked.

Hitsugaya's eyes slightly softened. He suddenly felt like a bastard for thinking little of her. However, all he said was "I see." Because for him to keep talking meant opening up. And he didn't "open up".

Night after night, the two found themselves under the midnight blanket. For the most part, nothing was said. And they enjoyed it. It gave them a slight reprieve from the day's work to know that they could look forward to a quiet night.

They hadn't taken much notice to the fact they were together almost every night. It had become like second nature. In fact, it was no set routine, because there were some nights when Rukia was alone, due to the fact Hitsugaya had work, or vise-versa. And sometimes neither found themselves on the roof.

But for the most part, for most of the nights, most of the endings to all-work-no-play days, they found themselves on the rooftops.

One of said nights had been slightly different.

Hitsugaya laid back in a carefree position, arms behind his head as he let his thoughts go round and round with one another. When he noticed it was late, he decided to leave. And in contrary to most nights, Rukia was still there. She had always left before him, save the times she knew she had little work the following day. But she was so still, and he concluded she had to be asleep.

He stood up and walked over to her to have his assumption proven correct. He sighed slightly and crouched down next to her. "Lieutenant." he said softly but sternly, poking at her arm.

Rukia yawned and rolled over. "Go away Ichigo."

Hitsugaya's eyebrows furrowed slightly and he stood up. "Lieutenant." he repeatedly loudly.

Rukia's eyes opened and she sat up. "Hmm?" she let out and looked to her side. She jumped to her feet. "C-Captain, I'm so sorry! Thank you for waking me." she replied, trying to erase the grogginess from her voice.

Hitsugaya nodded and leaped off. '_Until tomorrow, Lieutenant Kuchiki_'.

* * *

Rukia tossed and turned in her bed, a nightmare holding her in a vice-like grip as she relived the night she would never forget. "Kai...en." she mumbled with a strained voice in her sleep. Her eyes jerked open and she shot up, breathing painfully hard. Her chest heaved up and down until her senses came to her and she realized she was no longer dreaming.

Going back to sleep was not an option. No. She didn't want to risk going through all of that again. She looked over to her clock, noticing she still had about three hours until she needed to be up. There was a Captains and Lieutenants meeting first thing in the morning, and Rukia had heard rumors that it was in accordance to filling the missing three Captain positions. However, she highly doubted they would be filled soon. The only one she could think of who even could be considered for Captain was Ichigo.

Three hours took seemingly three days to go by. She simply sat there on her bed, waiting until her alarm clock buzzed. She had already dressed, figuring it might be good if she were a few minutes early so she'd have time to talk with Ichigo and Renji. She jumped slightly at the sound of her alarm. Standing up, she took one last look in the mirror.

It was safe to say she looked like shit. Bags lay unwanted under her eyes, her face was pale, and there was a clear break in her composure. But she had to regain it, for she was going to be sitting amongst all of the captains and head captain.

Once she arrived, she saw Ichigo and Renji waving her over, and she quickly walked over to them.

"Man, Rukia, you look like crap." Ichigo was the first to comment. Renji nodded in agreement.

If it hadn't been for the surrounding superiors, she probably would've kicked him in the shin. "Gee thanks."

Everyone took their seat, and Yamamoto started by clearing his throat. "Some of you may have already heard why this meeting was called. It is to discuss the matter at hand of the missing captains from the Third, Fifth, and Ninth Division. There have been many recommendations as to filling these positions, and we are here to see if there are enough to appoint a new captain." he began.

"Now, you all are aware of the three ways of becoming captain, and the second way is to have personal recommendations from six captains, and approval from three of the remaining seven. And even though we are in lack of three, they will still need approval from three of the remaining four."

Rukia's eyes closed and she started slumping, but was quickly awoken by an elbow to the side from Ukitake. She jerked up and tried her best to pay attention.

Hitsugaya glanced around the room, noticing her near state of sleep, but didn't ponder any further as Yamamoto finished up.

"The first recommendation I have received is Lieutenant Kurosaki Ichigo, 1st Division. I have received recommendations from the following: Captain Unohana Retsu, Captain Kuchiki Byakuya, Captain Komamura Sajin, Captain Kyouraku Shunsui, Captain Zaraki Kenpachi, and Captain Ukitake Jyuushiro."

Rukia glanced over to Ichigo who had a serious countenance, but she could see the pride in his eyes.

"Now, I must have approval of at least three of the remaining four captains. Captain Soi Fong." he asked, and when he saw her nod, he continued. "Captain Hitsugaya Toushirou."

Hitsugaya nodded. He had witnessed Ichigo in many accounts, namely in the rescue of Rukia Kuchiki. If there was anyone deserving and had the right qualifications of becoming a captain, it was him.

"Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri." Yamamoto paused after Mayuri shook his head. "Well then, Kurosaki Ichigo. The last vote falls upon me, and you need it in order to attain a Captain's level rank."

Rukia waited anxiously for the announcement. _Come on Ichigo!_'

* * *

Rukia walked in between Ichigo and Renji. "Congratulations Ichigo." she said with a slight smile. "Or should I say, Captain Kurosaki."

"Yeah, good job." Renji said with a goofy grin.

"Heh, thanks you guys."

A few others had received recommendations, but none had enough. Even Renji had only been a few approvals off.

"Well, I've got to go get ready to move my stuff and then old man Yamamoto says I have to have some sorta training before I can officially become captain." he added and then headed off.

Rukia and Renji waved. "Have any work today?" Renji questioned.

She sighed in reply.

"Well, maybe next time." he waved her off.

Rukia awaited tonight. Where she could relax and just _breathe _for once.

And it came. After hours and hours of strenuous work, which took its toll on her both physically and mentally. She jumped up to her usual rooftop and lay down with a dramatic sigh. She could've fallen asleep right then and there.

"Tired I see."

Rukia's eyes opened (when the Hell had they closed?) and she saw Toushirou beside her. "Yeah."

Normally, this would be the time when the guy asks the girl "What's wrong?" or "Wanna tell me what's up?"

Sadly, Hitsugaya was not normal. He laid back, opposite direction of Rukia so they were head to head, a few inches in between. His thoughts wandered back to the day he found out Aizen had nearly killed Momo. God, he hated that man. And he swore he would kill him and Gin for causing her pain. Bastards. How could they just use her like that? And the worst part was, she had at one point held her hatred toward him. Her closest friend of all people! God, he hated that man.

He was jerked from his thoughts as he heard small grunts. He sat up and looked over to Rukia. '_What is she doing__? __Is she dreaming perhaps__?' _How unprofessional she was. This had been the second time she'd fallen asleep, and this time she was noisy about it.

"Kaien."

His eyes adverted to her once more. Yet again he had misjudged her.

"Kaien." she repeated.

A nightmare? Was that what she was having? He knew all too well about those. "Lieutenant."

"Please...Forgive me."

Hitsugaya sat still, looking down at her strangely. He knew of her story, and how she was forced to kill her superior, one she admired greatly. When she let out a wince of what seemed like pain, he gave her a slight shake.

This only seemed to further her dream.

"Stop." she said in a threatening tone, which shocked Hitsugaya, though he didn't show it.

He gave her another shake, this time more sternly and her eyes peeked open, revealing a wet glaze.

She sat up slowly, wiping her wet eyes quickly. She hoped he hadn't seen her eyes; showing tears would make him assume she was weak. And boy was she anything from it. "I'm so sorry Captain."

He pulled a leg half-way to his body and rested an arm on his knee. "I can feel your pain over him."

Rukia glanced away. Had she been talking in her sleep?

The two failed to notice the eyes watching them. Filled with jealousy and hurt. Filled with malice that contrasted the innocence everyone believe she withheld. Toushiro never sat under the stars with her. Toushiro never did. _Never._

* * *

**A/N: **So, this is my first attempt here, so cut me some slack, will ya? But on the other hand, I'd appreciate any suggestions you have. I may have changed some of the stuff in here. Like the whole becoming a captain thing. I know that you can do it that way, but I just randomly threw in the whole vote thing because I was unsure how it went.

So, I guess in essence, sorry if it sucked. And this won't be a super fast relationship, because I believe it takes time to build up that sort of thing, and I don't want it to be like "Rukia, I know we've barely said a word to each other, but I love you. Do me."

Also, a big thanks to my beta, **Saint Sky**, for helping me with the story :D

Thanks in advance to those who read and review (: **-Ami**


	2. Unsuspected Intentions

**Starry Night**

_Unsuspected Intentions  
_

A plan was needed. Not just any plan, but one that would work. What else could she do besides design a way to fix her problem? No one else apparently knew of the matter at hand, so she had self-appointed herself as the person to fix it. Resolving an issue like this had to take precise planning, so that she didn't do things messily. Placing a thoughtful finger on her chin, her mind swirled around the bulk of the issue: Rukia Kuchiki. She saw no reason for Rukia to be spending private time with _her _Shiro. So, a plan was needed.

Plan A

The objective of this plan was to somehow find a way to separate Rukia and Hitsugaya without creating too much drama or involvement from other shinigami. In fact, no one was to know of her plan. She wanted to devise a way to split the two's nights up without anyone knowing she was the one who was doing it. Hopefully she would be able to knock out the problem in one attempt, but that was unlikely given her plans usually did fail.

First, she would need to gain Hitsugaya's attention, but in a way that he felt concerned for her well being and was by her side more than needed (much like he was with Rukia Kuchiki, she thought). She'd known Hitsugaya for a long time, and it wouldn't take much to peak his concern for her, but she needed to balance her acts out. They needed to be enough so that Hitsugaya felt the need to check up on her, but not so much that it attracted other people worrying over her.

This was Plan A, and it was by far the easiest for the reason that she wasn't required to have any interaction with Rukia Kuchiki. In fact, Plan A really had no relation to the adoptive noblewoman except for being the reason Plan A was needed in the first place. Some might have said she was overreacting, because where Momo saw someone trying to steal Hitsugaya from her, others saw nothing out of the ordinary (for the most part). But they just didn't understand. _I've already lost Captain Aizen__;__ I refuse to lose him, too! _

She had nothing against Rukia prior to this issue, but anyone trying to steal Hitsugaya from her was on her bad list. And being on Momo Hinamori's bad list was--well, bad. As the petite shinigami contemplated her actions regarding her plan, there were others who were currently putting their minds to _good _use. Namely Ichigo Kurosaki and Renji Abarai.

* * *

"Who're you callin' an idiot?!"

"You, ya idiot!"

Maybe not to good use. But to use nonetheless.

"Don't think that just because now you're a Captain means you're some sort of mightier being than I am!" Renji spat out, his hands gripped the edge of a wooden table as he used it to lean almost all of his weight. He was leaning over the table, nearly crawling to the other side as Ichigo mirrored him from the other end. Their heads were pressed together, and for the life of them both, they couldn't remember what had started the feud.

Rukia was sitting down at the round table, poking gingerly at her food until she couldn't take the relentless arguing anymore. "Will you two shut up?! We hardly ever have time off at the same time, and now that Ichigo's a Captain, it probably will be even less that we see each other! So both of you just sit the Hell down and eat your food!" She was fuming, no doubt, and above all other times she yapped at the two, this was different somehow.

Renji and Ichigo immediately sat down, cringing in fright. "Uhm...Hey Rukia, something bothering you?" Ichigo was the bold one to speak up.

Of course there was something wrong. This was probably the last time all three of them could hang out together in a _very _long time, and the two hot-heads would rather spend it arguing over some trivial matter. "No," she replied, because as always, to let someone in meant _letting someone in_. And no one got in. "So Ichigo, what squad did ya get? Did you get to pick?" Rukia asked, breaking the tension that she unknowingly put there.

"Got 5th," Ichigo replied with his mouth full of food, making his cheeks stick out in resemblance to a squirrel. He swallowed and continued. "I didn't really care, so they just placed me there," added the orange-haired soul reaper.

"Oh, you have Momo as your Lieutenant then," Renji chimed in. He wondered how Momo would react to her having a new Captain. Hopefully she would accept Ichigo and not give him too much of a hassle, but all the same, he knew she'd feel like Ichigo was replacing Aizen. Which he was, but not in the sense Momo would think of it. Though, he didn't think anymore on the subject as Ichigo seemed to just give a slight shrug anyway.

"Well, I have some more work to do, so I'll catch you both some other time," Rukia spoke, plastering a fake smile on her face. "See ya later Renji," the petite girl added, and then turned to Ichigo. "You, too." She knew she wouldn't, though. Ichigo would be so busy, all of her free time would be spent with Renji if he was off. And she knew Renji would down the road become Captain, too. He was already so close, she felt it wouldn't be much longer before all of her friends surpassed her. Rukia most definitely wouldn't be reaching Captain for a while; she was no where near reaching Bankai, mostly due to the fact she hardly trained for it. With one last sigh, she walked off and made her way down to her office.

Renji and Ichigo glanced at each other, both of them seeing straight through her facade. They knew why she was unusually gloomy, and even if she tried to hide it, they'd known her long enough to tell when she was bull shitting them. "I should probably head out, too." Ichigo cleared his throat and stood up, now knowing what Rukia had just felt a moment ago. It was hard to say goodbye knowing that it'd be a long time until you saw your friends outside of work, but Ichigo wasn't one for sappy moments and therefore simply wore his usual scowl. After Renji nodded, he too stood up, gathering his things and making his way back to work.

* * *

Step One: Gain Attention from Hitsugaya

Momo tried to think of something that would trigger some tears. She knew what would do it, and felt terrible for using such a thought for her personal gain, but it was necessary. Captain Aizen. That name alone caused enough emotions to fuel an army. Tears started clustering in her eyes, threatening to spill over. She blinked down hard, causing them to tread down her cheeks. Once she was satisfied with how she looked, she knocked on Hitsugaya's office door. When she heard a grumbling "Enter," she did so.

Hitsugaya looked up from his mountains of paperwork to see a tearful shinigami. "M-Momo, what is it? What's wrong?"

Momo started sobbing and fell to her knees, her hands covering her face. "I just...I don't know what to do anymore," she replied in a squeaky voice due to the tears. "I'm just so confused."

Hitsugaya's fist subconsciously clenched tightly. Damn that Aizen for messing with Momo's head! He had thought she was starting to come around, but apparently she had just been bottling things up inside. At a loss for words, all he could really do was stand up and walk over to her. "There's nothing to be confused about."

Step Two: Reel Hitsugaya in

"I turned my hatred toward you because I believed those lies!" Momo yelled, a fire burning in her eyes, her tears now evolving from anger instead of sorrow. "How can you say that I shouldn't be confused?" Her breathing became irregular and she glared into Hitsugaya's icy eyes. "Never mind. I'm fine." and with that, she stood up and headed toward the door.

"M-Momo, wait!"

A small smirk appeared on the lieutenant's lips, but she quickly erased it before she turned around. "Really, I'll be fine. I just need to clear my thoughts is all," she replied with a genuine smile. Perfect, now she had him drawn in and concerned for her. Now all she had to do was attract that concern during the nightly hours so that he'd spend them with her instead of with Rukia. Step Three, the final step would commence when it started getting dark out and she knew Hitsugaya would be done working for the day. Suddenly, a new thought hit her. _I can't keep him in a concerned state forever. He'll eventually think I really am fine. _But that was a bump far down the road, and she refused to worry about it now when she wasn't even finished with her plan. No, map out the road first, fix the kinks in it later.

* * *

Rukia peered over at her office window, noticing the Sun was setting already. Her head turned back toward her work as her willpower to finish it was slowly diminishing. With a long, drawn out sigh, she finished filling out the last of her forms before allowing her head to collapse on the desk. Finally, she was finished. What to do now? She sat up and straightened her back, earning a few cracks from her spine. Taking in a deep breath once again, she stood up and headed out. Now that the thought of all her friends surpassing her had entered her mind, she couldn't get it out. Maybe it was time to step up the game and maybe start training to reach Bankai. Maybe.

Once out into the now-dark night, she hopped up onto the roofs and started making her way toward her usual resting place. Rukia stretched out her limbs and laid back as her eyes wearily gazed up at the stars.

Step Three: Distract Hitsugaya from Rukia to Momo

Hitsugaya made his way down the pavement, a bored expression staining his features. His thoughts, however, greatly contrasted his appearance. What had gotten into Momo? Why was she suddenly so...emotional? Maybe the months without Aizen really had started piling on. But Ichigo was going to be her new Captain, and he wasn't quite sure how she would handle that. Maybe she had already heard and that's what triggered such an outburst from her. He paused his walk and looked up, and in one fluid motion was on top of the roof Rukia was. This was the type of night that strengthened the benefits of being there. When he actually had something to think about, there was no better place to do it than where he was now.

A sudden flare of reiatsu caught him off-guard, pulling him from his thoughts. It wasn't too much of a flare, more like a flicker. But the source of the spiritual pressure was what concerned him. "Momo!" He quickly stood up and headed in that direction.

Rukia, too, felt the small change and after she heard Hitsugaya, she jumped up and followed him. With all that had happened to Momo, she wouldn't be surprised if something was wrong with her now. She had to check to make sure.

The two shinigami bounced from rooftop to rooftop, the only sound being made was fabric rushing against wind, flapping violently behind them. Hitsugaya was the first to appear, and he rushed over. Momo seemed to be intact, and in fact nothing seemed to be wrong with her at all. "Momo-"

He was cut off by her tears and sobbing. "I-I can't--" Her words stopped as yet another figure appeared in the small clearing they were in. Damn, she must've released too much and it attracted more than one. Her eyes slightly widened when she saw the silhouette approach closer, the moonlight revealing its face. No! No, no, no, no, no! Her plan failed and Rukia had followed. Quickly erasing the sour expression from her face, she smiled to Rukia. "I'm fine, really. You didn't have to come."

Hitsugaya nodded, feeling a tad over-dramatic about reacting in such a manner to a mere rise in reiatsu. Rukia nodded and then quickly left toward her usual building. Hitsugaya, after a moment, left as well.

Momo's hands balled into fists, her arms pinned to her sides in frustration. A new plan was needed. She didn't want to resort to such a drastic measure, but it would appear as though she would have to have a nice chat with Rukia Kuchiki. She sighed and headed back to her barracks, where she could then rest her conniving mind. Tomorrow was a new day. Tomorrow was the day when someone replaced Captain Aizen - she wasn't looking forward to tomorrow.

* * *

Hands stuffed in pockets, a casual countenance on, Ichigo Kurosaki walked down the halls of the 5th Division. He wasn't used to being so overly respected, and quite frankly it annoyed him. Even when he was lieutenant, it was hard to put up with all the sucking up and bull crap. "Stand up, you don't need to bow," he told a young soul reaper nonchalantly. He headed into his new office and sat down. It was much bigger than what he was used to, but it was nice. He could get used to it, but he'd still need time adjusting to the actual people who'd be coming in and out of the office.

As he began writing down on unfinished work, he heard a small knock on the door. "Come in," he answered, not glancing up whatsoever.

Momo entered the room and bowed deeply. "Good morning Captain--"

"Stop."

Momo let out a small "Mm?" in confusion, looking up toward her new superior. "S-Stop what?"

"I'm tired of everyone treating me as if I'm some God. So stop bowing and just tell me what you need." He then realized how harsh that may have come out, and given the recent history of the one he was talking to, he smiled slightly. "Lieutenant Hinamori Momo, correct?"

Momo had been a bit thrown back by his sudden anger at how she was only showing him _respect_. Her tension eased slightly at his comforting smile, and she nodded in response. "Uhm, I needed to know what work I have today."

Ichigo nodded and took about half the stack of his paperwork and dropped it in front of the halved stack, creating a loud thud. "You can do this half, and I'll do this half," he pointed between the stacks as if it were easy as one-two-three.

The young girl let out an uneasy laugh, knowing she'd have to show him the ropes of how things went around here. But she'd cut him some slack for the day. Surprisingly, she didn't hate Ichigo for taking her beloved Captain Aizen's spot. Momo walked over and heaved the stack of work up, her arms dropping slightly at its massive weight. She bowed her head slightly, forgetting he had told her not to, and turned to walk out of the room. She stopped suddenly as she reached the exit. "Uhm, Captain, pardon me for asking--a-and I know it's not my place, but you're friends with Lieutenant Rukia aren't you?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"No reason." Momo smiled and quickly scurried toward her own office where she could busily go to work. What if her new Captain found out she was plotting against Rukia? What if Hitsugaya found out? What if Renji found out? She knew for a fact Renji and Rukia were close, and Renji would surely side with the noblewoman instead of herself. This was why she couldn't let anyone find out. If they did-- It was safe to say, there'd be Hell to pay. She couldn't risk any screw ups like the night before.

Plan B

This plan was a little less strategic, and had more doing than planning. In fact, the only step to this plan was to scare Rukia out of seeing Hitsugaya. As long as Rukia felt intimidated, this plan was foolproof. Sadly, she didn't know Rukia very well. For if she did, she would know Rukia was not intimidated by anyone, with the possible exception of her elder brother. But _that _was for Plan C if this plan failed, which she hoped would not.

Momo was a fast worker, and she had been used to taking over the Captain's work due to Aizen being gone, so she finished her load relatively quick. With a steady walk along the grounds, she made her way toward the 13th Division. Her eyes scanned the ground to make sure no one seemed awkward or out-of-place about her being there. Why would they? It was normal to sometimes see Lieutenants from other divisions around, but she was on edge, and therefore was filled with anxiety. Her feet daintily slapped against the floor as she walked down the long hallway, coming to a dead stop in front of the door that read Rukia's name. Momo balled her hand into a fist and knocked softly.

"Come in," Rukia projected, curious to see as to who was paying her a visit. When she saw Momo walk in, she was a bit thrown back. "Lieutenant, what can I do for you?"

_You could back the Hell off from Lil' Shiro. _Though, she wasn't that blunt. A small smile spread across her face as she feigned a weak and depressed little girl. "I just wanted to talk to you...about..." Rukia's eyes hadn't strayed from hers, but Momo tried to start off sounding nice. If she could succeed without resorting to anything dramatic, that would be best. "About Captain Hitsugaya."

Rukia's eyebrows rose slightly and she nodded for the girl to continue.

"You see...I saw you guys the other night...together."

"Huh? What do you mean you saw us 'together'?" Rukia nearly jerked from her seat. _She made it seem as if we were doing something we shouldn't have._

"You know...together. And I know you may have feelings for him, but I don't think he feels--"

Rukia refrained from bursting out into laughter as small giggles escaped her clenched lips. "You think...You think me and Captain Hitsugaya...are...Oh, you couldn't be more wrong! If you're talking about seeing us on the roofs at night, don't think much on it. The guy hardly says a word, same with me. I don't even think I'd consider him a friend or comrade." Rukia spoke honestly and truthfully. Hitsugaya wasn't her friend, and even though that sounded a little cold, it was the truth. He was simply her superior who happened to enjoy a peaceful night like her.

"Oh, you don't know how relieved I feel!" Momo let out a fake breath of air that she was supposedly holding in. What a liar. She could see straight through Rukia's lies. "Just, try not to be by each other."

Rukia was lost. Didn't she _just _explain to the girl she held no romantic, or even friendly, feelings toward Hitsugaya? Didn't she tell her that the relationship between the two was a superior and a subordinate? "I don't think you understand--"

"No, you don't understand Rukia _Kuchiki_." She enunciated her last name, as if being a Kuchiki made her know better. "I don't want you near my Shiro. Anything that doesn't physically require you to be around him should be forgotten. If you can live without seeing him, then don't."

"Or else what?" Rukia leaned forward, standing from her chair and using her hands to prop herself up. Her tone was slightly dangerous, and she was curious to see what Momo was planning to do. Because Rukia Kuchiki did not take orders that were outside of business.

"Or else you'll have me to deal with." Momo's voice was laced with venom, a scowl etched across her facial features.

"Is that a threat...Or perhaps a challenge?" Rukia asked, leaning closer as her knuckled turned white from gripping the desk too hard.

"You have a good day, Lieutenant." And with that, Momo Hinamori left the office with a frown on her face, making her way back down to her own division to see how her Captain was faring.

Rukia brushed off imaginary dust from her uniform and sat back down in her seat. That was...Odd, to say the least. She still couldn't fathom the fact that Momo had mistaken her less-than-friendly relationship with Captain Hitsugaya for a significantly more-than-friendly relationship.

* * *

Night had fallen, and there was a Momo on the prowl. The young girl moved stealthily among the shadows created by moonlight, making sure no one saw her this far away from her division. Even if it didn't seem that odd, she was overcautious and couldn't risk any questioning. Her eyes peered up at the building and saw Hitsugaya sitting atop the roof. She smiled; no one was beside him.

This meant Rukia was a smart girl, and heeded her warning. From her times of spying on the two, Rukia usually was the one to appear first, which meant that if Hitsugaya was already--

A small, lithe form could be seen jumping to the roof and laying down casually. Damn it! This called for something drastic. Something that would involve others, but it was the only thing left she could do. This called for:

Plan C

* * *

**A/N: **Ah, yes. I've realized that the vast majority of HitsuRuki fans absolutely hate Momo. I actually have no problem with her, but it was just easiest to make her the bitch of the story (which obviously will make her OOC in my opinion, sorry for that). So yaay for Momo-haters, haha.

Also, a big thanks to my beta, **Saint Sky**, for helping me with the story :D

Thanks in advance to those who read and review (: **-Ami**


	3. Confrontations

**Starry Night**

_Confrontations  
_

This decision was a regrettable one indeed, but necessary nonetheless. She didn't want to get others involved in the matter at hand, but there was no other choice. Today, she had a few places she needed to visit...and her first stop was Division 6. As Momo made her way down the long halls, she wondered where she should head to first. She may as well get the hardest part done with and out of the way. As she approached a door, she knocked softly.

"Enter," a strong voice commanded.

The petite girl opened the door and bowed deeper than she'd ever bowed in her life, her forehead nearly touching the ground. This guy was an intimidating man, and scary, too. "Uhm, Captain Kuchiki, sir...I have something I wish to speak to you about...It's about Vice Captain Rukia."

Byakuya's expression didn't change, but it was safe to say his interest was peaked. Because he thought she had only come to deliver something, he was slightly surprised - though he didn't show it. "Go on," his emotionless voice rang.

Momo swallowed hard and fiddled with her thumbs, becoming very fidgety. How could she phrase this so that she evoked the reaction she wanted? "Well, you see, her and Captain Hitsugaya have been hanging out lately...At night, by themselves."

He was slightly put off about this, but didn't take anything out of context. "And your point is what?"

"Well, sir, it's just that...I've already heard some people talking about things they saw...And quite frankly I think she's ruining the good Kuchiki name. You should hear some of the rumors going around about them...And about the Kuchikis." Okay, so she lied a little. Or a lot. But it should work, and that's all that mattered.

"I see. Thank you for bringing this issue to my attention. You may leave now." Byakuya then went back to his paper work as if nothing had happened.

Momo bowed once more and quickly left the room with a smile on her face. He may have seemed like he didn't care, but she saw that slight fire of anger in his eyes when she talked about the Kuchiki name. If that man had any weaknesses, it was his pride. Now, onto the next person, who thankfully wasn't too far away.

She knocked on the door that read 'Lieutenant Abarai Renji' and waited for an "enter", but was surprised to see the door was opened for her.

"Eh? Momo? What's up?" Renji asked as he stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him.

"Well, I need to talk to you about something..."

Renji looked down at her curiously. "Well, you can tell me on the way, I'm about to go to lunch."

Perfect, she could have more time talking with him, then. "Alright." Once they started walking, she stared at the ground. When she received a questioning look from Renji, she started. "I know you're good friends with Rukia, so I feel that as your friend, it is my duty to inform you of such matters as this."

When Renji heard Rukia's name, he glanced over to her again. "What're you talking about? Is something wrong with her or something?"

"Uhm, kind of. You see, her and Lil' Shiro have been getting rather...Acquainted at night. And it doesn't bother me, because I don't really have those kind of feelings for him, but I know you're probably protective over Rukia, as I am Shiro." Momo smiled mentally at the way she phrased her words.

"What do you mean by _acquainted_?" Rukia and Captain Hitsugaya? Ha! Those two would never in a million years--Wait. The more Renji thought about it, the more he could see it happening. _Their Zanpakutos are from the same element...And they can both be pretty freaking boring at times...But Rukia and Captain Hitsugaya? Nahh..._

"What I mean is, they spend nearly every night together...Alone." Momo could see the surprise in Renji's face. He didn't seem angry or jealous at the moment, which she hoped he would be. Maybe he didn't quite believe her. "I swear it, I saw it with my own two eyes."

"Hmm. Well, if she's happy." Renji shrugged as he continued walking, seeing the cafeteria come into view.

"Oh but she's not." Momo then lowered her voice to a whisper, as if she was telling him a secret. "I know that Shiro doesn't care for her, and I'm afraid she'll end up getting hurt."

Now this was upsetting for Renji. He didn't like the fact Rukia could end up getting hurt, and frowned at his current position. He couldn't go up to _Captain_ Hitsugaya and tell him to back the fuck off, and that if he hurt Rukia, he'd be sorry. No, you just can't do that with a superior. "Who else have you told about this?"

"No one." This was perfect! Because if Renji thought he and Momo were the only ones who knew, he'd probably tell Byakuya about it, which would only support her case and make Byakuya angrier.

Unfortunately for her, Renji would never do that. He knew how his Captain was with Rukia, and how condescending he could be. No, he would have to talk to Rukia personally. Trying to change the subject, he asked, "So, how's the idiot doing as your Captain?"

Momo swatted his arm playfully. "You shouldn't talk in such a way toward Captain Kurosaki. He's a nice man."

Renji couldn't help but see that look in her eyes. The look she had when she always talked about Aizen. Did she look up to Ichigo like she did with Aizen? This was new. At least she was progressing, and he was happy she wasn't mad about the replacement.

The two sat at lunch together, not mentioning Rukia again. Momo knew that if she kept bringing it up, Renji would get suspicious. It was hard to get him where she had him, and pushing any further my cause him to forget the whole thing. After they finished eating, they said their goodbyes, and Momo headed back to her division. There was one other person she needed to explain the problem to.

When she arrived at her new Captain's office, she knocked before entering. "Uhm, Captain..."

"Hey, what's up?" Ichigo greeted and set down his pen. Damn this was a lot of work.

"I wanted to talk to you about something, but if you're busy--"

"Nope. Take a seat." Once she did, he continued. "So what's wrong?" he asked casually, leaning back in his chair.

"It's concerning Lieutenant Rukia..." She struggled to keep a smile from surfacing when she saw his clear interest in what she had to say increase at the mere mention of her name. After she explained the problem, adding in a few lies here and there, she was more than satisfied with his expression.

Ichigo cleared his throat and regained his composure. "Ah, is that all?" When he received a yes in reply, he nodded. "Alright then. Thanks. You can leave now." Damn it, what had Rukia gotten herself into? Now he'd have to go knock some sense into the little midget before she got herself hurt.

Momo considered going to opposite people. As in people who would want to protect Hitsugaya instead. But, when she thought of how Matsumoto would act, she decided against it. She knew she wouldn't receive the same type of reaction she had with Byakuya, Renji, and Ichigo. Hell, the 10th Division's Lieutenant would probably get excited and want to go drink in celebration that Hitsugaya _actually_ was gettin' some.

* * *

Rukia was located on the training grounds outside of her division, going one-on-one with a new recruit. She mostly worked on kidou with the young man, but occasionally used Sode no Shirayuki; she preferred kidou over Zanpakutos any day. After wiping her forehead off, she smiled to the boy. "Good job. You might even be good enough to get a seated position."

The man bowed with his arms at his side. "Thank you," he replied, trying hard to mask the excitement in his voice. "Is that it for today?" He however, didn't cover up the slight sadness in his tone.

Rukia nodded and dusted off her hands. "Yep, but I'm sure you can train with some of the other division members. Just go easy on them," she said through a small grin and then turned to walk away. Once she rounded the corner, she bumped into someone. "Hey, watch--" she looked up and saw the person's face. "N-Nii-sama!" She quickly bowed, biting her lip in anger at how she had just yelled at him.

"Rukia, stand up." She was far too short, and when she bowed, it made it worse. He needed her to look him in the eyes when he was about to talk to her right now. When she stood to her full height, he glanced to the side, contradicting what he had wanted her to do. "I have been informed that you and a Captain have become close."

Rukia's eyebrows scrunched up and she thought for a moment. Was he talking about Ichigo? Didn't he already know she was close to him? "Well, yes, but I--"

"I see." So it was true. "You are no longer allowed to see Captain Hitsugaya."

What? What the Hell was he talking about? "Huh? What's he got to do with anything?"

"You just said you have become close with him. Perhaps too close."

Rukia refrained from slapping a palm to her head. "You misunderstood, big brother. I thought you were talking about Ichigo."

Byakuya brought his gaze back to her again. "So you have not been spending alone time with Captain Hitsugaya?"

"Well, I have. But it's not what you think, big brother!" Rukia heaved a great sigh. "We don't even talk." With any other person, it might've sounded absurd, but with Hitsugaya, it was completely believable that he could spend hours with someone and not say a word.

"You are forbidden to see him during the nightly hours unless something related to business requires you to, understood?"

Rukia looked down to her feet. "I understand." She wasn't even mad about the fact that she couldn't see Hitsugaya--she could've cared less! But it was just the thought alone that she was _forbidden _to see someone. This was ridiculous! She was forbidden to do something. Wasn't she an adult? Couldn't she do whatever the Hell she wanted outside of work? She didn't _have _to listen to her brother, but she would. Because he was her older brother, and he knew best.

* * *

Renji made his way down to the 13th Division. He had put off his work for tomorrow, which he would regret then, but it was important. He needed time to talk with Rukia. Without even knocking, he opened her door and stepped inside. "Hey Rukia."

Rukia was slightly shocked to see him at such an hour, especially since she knew he had a ton of work to do. "Hey...Something wrong?" He didn't look right, and her countenance held clear concern for him.

"Yeah." He sat down in the chair in front of her desk and stared to her. "I heard about you and Captain Hitsugaya."

WHAT. THE. HELL?! Had a rumor spread or something? First Momo, then--Momo! _That little bitch! She told Nii-sama...And Renji! _Rukia let out an agitated sigh. "Look, I'm going to say this once. There's nothing romantic going on between us. We just happen to sit by each other at night. It's random coincidence, I can't believe people are making a big deal about this," she explained.

"Bull shit Rukia. Look," he paused for a moment, searching for the right words. Scratch that, he'd just blurt out whatever came to his mind first, like usual. "I'm not going to tell you how to live your life, Rukia. But don't get blinded, because you'll just end up hurt in the end. And you'll be so pathetic that I won't be able to say 'I told you so' even if I am entitled to."

Rukia's left eye twitched in frustration. She leaned over her desk and gripped the front of Renji's shirt, bringing him in closer to her. "You fool! Could you try and at least _act _smart! Do you think I would EVER fall for some emotionless creep like Captain Hitsugaya? Honestly, Renji, I thought you knew me better than that!" she yelled, a little too loud, but it served its purpose of venting some anger.

"Am I interrupting anything, Lieutenants?" a voice asked near the door.

Both Rukia and Renji's heads snapped to see who was there. Rukia's eyes lit up in shock and nervousness. "C-Captain Hitsugaya..." Rukia stammered.

Hitsugaya leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes cold and emotionless. "Lieutenant Abarai, may I have a moment with Lieutenant Kuchiki in private?" His voice matched the level of emotion held in his eyes - none.

Renji glanced back to Rukia momentarily before standing up and nodding. "Ah, yes, sir." The redhead then proceeded to exit the room, all the while cursing under his breath at the disturbance.

Hitsugaya closed the door behind him and walked forward a few steps, staring down nonchalantly at Rukia.

Rukia had slumped back into her chair by then, but quickly stood up once he walked further into the room. "Uhm, how may I be of help, Captain?" She mentally kicked herself in the head for her earlier outburst, and how Hitsugaya had probably heard every word.

"It's been brought to my attention some of the rumors going around the Sereitei. Do you happen to have knowledge of any of this?" he asked and took a seat in the chair in front of her desk.

Rukia, too, sat down and glanced to the side. "Yes...And I know who started them." She looked back to Hitsugaya. "M--"

She was cut off by her office door slamming open. Ichigo stormed through, completely ignoring Hitsugaya. His anger had apparently clouded his vision. "What the Hell, Rukia?!" he asked, slamming both of his hands down on her table.

"Uhm, Ichigo..." Rukia whispered, pointing behind him.

Ichigo turned around with a small "Eh?" and then saw the 10th Division's Captain. The orange-haired boy glared daggers toward the man. "Get the Hell out, I need to talk to Rukia." He never had been one for manners.

"You will have to wait, Kurosaki. There are important matters I need to discuss with her," the white-haired man retorted.

"Important my ass. You're the cause of all this!" Ichigo spat back.

"Ichigo! Please, just leave," Rukia butted in before anything got too carried away.

Ichigo turned back to her. Usually, his stubbornness would've made him stay, but the pleading look in her eyes made him back down. "Fine," he grunted and walked past Hitsugaya. "Don't think you got outta this one, Rukia. I'll be back later." And with that, he left the room.

_"Captain Hitsugaya...He's planning to hurt Rukia."_

Momo's words rang loud and clear in his head as he stormed through the 13th Division's halls, members cowering in fear at his wrath. Some speculated that he had romantic feelings toward Rukia, but this was false. It was hard to describe the relationship they had. In simplest terms, he was like an older brother. An older brother who wouldn't stand by while someone hurt her.

Back in the office, Rukia had apologized for Ichigo's outburst. "As I was saying, I know for a fact that it's been Lieutenant Hinamori Momo starting these lies."

Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed. "You're wrong, Lieutenant. Momo would never do something so juvenile and childish as to start rumors. How can you prove this _fact_?" he inquired.

Rukia's eyebrows furrowed at his disbelief. "Because she stormed into my office yesterday, threatening me to stay away from you. She's like some psychotic jealous person who thinks I hold romantic feelings toward you."

Hitsugaya jumped up from his chair and leaned over her desk, his teeth clenched together. "Hold your tongue, Lieutenant!" he seethed.

Any other time, Rukia would've complied obediently, but she wasn't going to just sit there and let Hitsugaya believe Momo was some innocent little girl who would never do something so vicious and vindictive. "How can you not see through her! Why would I lie about something like this?! She's been starting these rumors. _She _went to Nii-sama and Renji, and apparently Ichigo, too. She's creating all this unwanted drama, are you that blind and stupid that you think she isn't?!"

"I'm warning you, Lieutenant-"

"And I'm warning you! She's the one who's causing--" Rukia winced as she felt her back slammed against a wall. She opened her eyes and glared as Hitsugaya pinned her against it.

"I will talk to Momo. And when she denies it, I'll be expecting an apology from you to her. Is that understood, Lieutenant?" Hitsugaya's eyes had, within an instant, flashed from dull to fiery. His right hand held a tight grip around the front of her clothes as he pushed her against the wall threateningly, which would've been uncharacteristic of him had it not been Momo Rukia was insulting.

The small Shinigami woman continued to glare toward the Captain. "Fine." Who was she kidding? Momo would never admit to something like this. But that was okay, because Rukia would never apologize to the bitch. Hell, she hardly apologized even when it _was _her fault.

* * *

Ichigo had been waiting right outside of Division 13, waiting for Hitsugaya to leave. When he saw said Captain exiting the Division, he shot a glance toward him. "Hey, I wanna know what you want from Rukia."

Hitsugaya stopped, his back facing Ichigo as he didn't even bother turning around. "I want her to learn her place." His anger was still there, but he had done well to push it beneath the surface before he left.

"Bastard! If you hurt her, I don't care what kind of rules there are, I'll kill you."

Hitsugaya's eyes closed. Ichigo reminded him much of himself right then. Of how Ichigo was so protective over Rukia, the way he was with Momo. It wasn't anything really romantic...but Hitsugaya viewed Momo as a little sister. Someone he needed to protect. And in that sense, he respected Ichigo somewhat. Without replying, he continued walking. He needed to confront Momo on the matter.

Meanwhile, Ichigo just scoffed and turned around, heading back into the Division. He walked into Rukia's office, a little less rash this time. He saw Rukia sitting at her desk, doing work as if nothing had happened. "Rukia."

Not looking up, she answered him with a short "Yes?" and continued scribbling down on papers.

"Tell me what's going on. Everything." Ichigo took the same seat Hitsugaya had and awaited her response.

"This doesn't concern you, Ichigo."

"The Hell it doesn't." He then swallowed hard. "Do you really like him like Momo says?"

Rolling her eyes, she finally looked over to him. "No. Not even the least." In fact, she hated the guy right about now. Telling her she'd owe Momo an apology, the nerve of that man!

"Good. I don't think it's best that you talk to him--" he was cut off by her laughing.

Rukia let out a deep, somewhat maniacal laugh at his words. "You know. First Nii-sama, then Renji, and now you? You all think you know what's best, don't you?" Her face turned serious again. "I am perfectly capable of controlling my own life without people thinking they know what's best for me. I don't need you, my brother, Renji, or anyone else telling me how to live. So butt out!"

Ichigo's expression hadn't faltered, and his gaze hadn't left her. He could see through her facade. She was scared underneath. Scared of what the rumors might do to her reputation--more over what they'd do to the Kuchiki reputation. She knew if the noble clan's name was dragged through the dirt, Byakuya would be upset with her, and the rest of the clan would hate her more than usual. Ichigo saw through it all. "Fine. But just be careful. And don't go cryin' when I'm right and I say I told ya so."

Rukia thought back to what Renji had said. Was that what all men wanted? To be able to tell her they told her so? _I'm sick of this. _From now on, she wasn't going to listen to them anymore. She'd be as defiant as possible. She would be her own person, not restricted to who she saw or what she did outside of work.

* * *

Hitsugaya had stopped by the 5th Division and knocked on Momo's office door. Without waiting for her consent to enter, he opened the door and walked through, staring down at her expressionlessly.

"Lil' Shiro," she greeted with surprise, forgetting she wasn't supposed to call him that anymore.

Hitsugaya had been too focused on what he came there for to reprimand her for it, anyway. "Momo, I want an honest answer from you when I ask this." He paused, making sure she was looking him in the eye. "Are you the cause of all the rumors going on about Lieutenant Kuchiki and myself?" he asked sternly. He paid close attention to her to see if she showed any signs of hesitation in her answer.

"Why-Why would I do something like that?" Hinamori Momo inquired innocently.

Closing his eyes in frustration, he repeated the question. "Are you the cause, Momo?"

"Well I...I..." She couldn't lie to him. She just couldn't. "I just--You were abandoning me! And to go see _her_! You never sat with me at night!" Her eyes teared up as her whole body began to shake. She wished he would just embrace her lovingly and tell her he cared for her and her only.

Opening his eyes, Hitsugaya glared icily at the petite girl. Without another word, he turned around and left her to begin sobbing.

"Lil--Lil' Shiro!" she yelled, attracting attention from passer byers in the hallways. She ignored the stares she got from outside of the room and fell to her knees. "No..." the Shinigami girl whispered. A fire then lit in her eyes and she looked up. "You will _not _take him away from me, Rukia Kuchiki."

It had been nearly night time by the time Hitsugaya left, and he knew exactly where to head to. Jumping along the roofs, he landed in his usual nightly spot, wondering if Rukia would appear tonight. He mentally cursed himself for how he had acted earlier that day. He couldn't believe he had gotten like that, and he knew that he owed Rukia an apology. Too bad she probably wouldn't show up. Why would she?

Well, for one, Rukia was determined to rebel against everyone's wishes. She would continue to sit at her nightly spot no matter what anyone said. And secondly, she wasn't going to leave the place SHE was at first, just because Hitsugaya was being a jerk. So, hopping from rooftop to rooftop, she finally arrived at the one Captain Hitsugaya was casually sitting on.

Silence sat among the two like normal, but there was no denying the thick tension. "You were right."

Rukia's eyes softened slightly and she glanced over to him. "I know."

And that was all that needed to be said. Nothing else.

After a few minutes had passed, both pairs of eyes adverted to the new set of feet landing on the rooftop.

Momo stared down to Rukia, her Zanpakuto in hand.

* * *

**A/N: **I felt last chapter didn't have enough interaction between the two, so I thought I should put some in this one. Hopefully it didn't come out too OOC.

Once again, a huge thanks to my beta, **Saint Sky**, because without her...You'd find a whole mess of errors and mumbo jumbo in here. So thanks, Saint!

Thanks in advance to those who read and review (: **-Ami**


	4. Realization

**Starry Night**

_Realization  
_

Rukia was quick to jump up, her hand instantly jetting to the hilt of Sode no Shirayuki, ready to pull it out at any given time. Her face was calm, but her eyes glared daggers toward the small girl.

Hitsugaya was to his feet as well, but he immediately glanced back to Rukia, shaking his head. "No, Kuchiki," he remarked sternly and then turned back to Momo. "Momo, what are you doing?"

Momo's nose wrinkled up in distaste at how Hitsugaya had positioned himself between herself and Rukia. Was he protecting her, or just trying to prevent the fight? She hoped only the latter was the reason. "Stand aside, Shiro!" she bit out, pointing her sword in his direction threateningly.

Rukia hadn't released her grip on her sheathed zanpakuto, even though Hitsugaya had meant for her to. She couldn't let her guard down when Momo so carelessly let her reiatsu flare wildly, like she was about to strike. And she knew she was.

Hitsugaya took a steady step forward, and then slowly took another one.

"Stay back. I don't want to strike you," Momo told him darkly. Her eyes glanced to Rukia. Using shunpo, she caught Hitsugaya off guard and disappeared. She appeared behind Rukia and sliced her blade through the air with intensity toward the other girl's back.

Rukia's eyes had shifted to the side at the sudden vanishing of Momo. Withdrawing Shirayuki, her body twirled around and blocked the oncoming attack. "Damn it, stop this!" Rukia spat, still using her blade to fend off Momo's. The clanking of metal was loud and somewhat satisfying in Momo's ears.

Hitsugaya was in a quandary, to say the least. Even though he was currently angry at Momo, he still cared about her. And he'd never draw his sword against Momo. He had promised he would never hurt her, like he had when he came to save her from fighting Gin. But he couldn't let Rukia fight by herself. The thought unintentionally entered his mind: who would win? Who would win, given he did let them continue? The thought was absurd, and he was about to stop the fight, but anyone would wonder such a thing, right? "Momo, stop!" he barked harshly. It wouldn't be long before people came out from their barracks, wondering who would be sparring at a time like this.

"No! I will kill her! Snap, Tobiume!" she yelled viciously.

Rukia's eyes widened slightly as she realized that Momo truly intended to kill her. They then narrowed. As Tobiume transformed, a blast of energy came from the blade's tip, toward her. "Dance, Sode no Shirayuki," she murmured, watching as the energy ball hurled toward her. She was about to ice the bitch until someone pushed her out of the way.

Hitsugaya had wrapped his arm around Rukia's waist and swung her from the ball's path, and then swiftly appeared behind Momo as a crashing sound erupted from her attack hitting the wall. Finally, people started arriving on the scene, wondering what was going on. He gripped Momo's wrist and spun her around, his icy glare penetrating hers. "Arrest these two," he muttered to the approaching Soul Reapers, meanwhile never taking his gaze off of Momo.

Tears formed in the 5th Division lieutenant's eyes at how Hitsugaya could look at her so coldly...like he didn't care. She glanced over to Rukia hatefully as two Shinigami towed her away.

Rukia stood up and sheathed her zanpakuto. She didn't think it was very fair that she had to be put in jail, too. She was just defending herself for goodness sake. Sighing, she nodded as Renji Abarai pushed past the others, wanting to be the one to take her to her cell. What a fun trip that would be. She rolled her eyes at the thought.

Hitsugaya's eyes shifted from Momo's fading form to Rukia's. Without so much as another word, he sat back down on the roof. It was nights like these he was glad he could sit under the sky and think.

_Did she truly intend to kill her?_

He knew he owed Rukia yet another apology, but decided against it. Apologizing wasn't his strong point, but maybe he should visit her. What good would that do? Visiting her would not be good, because really, what would they say? He was fairly sure she'd be upset about being hauled off to jail for only defending herself, and he...well he wasn't a very big talker. But strangely enough, he _wanted _to see her. _I'll go there to release her_, he mused. After all, he knew for a fact she would only be kept there for a day or so.

It was protocol to arrest all participants in an unauthorized battle, even if one of the shinigami engaging in the fight was only protecting him or herself. This was mostly because said person would probably be angry and might irrationally want to strike back. So, they would be locked up in semi-isolation to allow time for their logical thinking to return.

The thought again entered his mind. Kuchiki Rukia versus Hinamori Momo. Why was he dwelling on such a thing? This was ridiculous! It was childish and very immature to imagine such things. But still, he contemplated. Maybe his comparisons of the two went further than merely determining who was the better _fighter_. He quickly shook that thought.

Rukia - She was known for her mastery of kido. Her zanpakuto was remarked as the most beautiful out of every shinigami's. Its element was ice, much like his. She, coming from a noble house, had her mental strength and ability to control emotions.

Momo - She was also known for her mastery at kido. She was a very timid, cheerful girl. He had known her for a long time. She was very--wait, he had strayed off topic.

_This is ridiculous. It's as if I'm turning it into a 'who's better?' contest. _But, who was better? He mentally slapped himself.

He knew nothing of Rukia, but after weighing hers and Momo's abilities, he concurred that Rukia would've won. Hands down.

* * *

"What the hell do you think you were doing, Rukia?!" Renji snapped, holding onto her arm tightly as he escorted her to a jail cell.

"You don't have to restrain me, Renji, it's not like I'd run away." She was thoroughly annoyed by the fact he seemed not to trust her to stay put.

"You know I can't release you until we're there. Now answer my question."

Rukia sighed dejectedly and closed her eyes as they walked. "She attacked me first. I was only defending myself. Geez! Did you think I'd attack her without a reason! Honestly, Renji, sometimes it's like you don't even know me!" And she hadn't even _actually _attacked her.

"Releasing your shikai wasn't necessary. You could've easily dodged her attack. Captain Hitsugaya was there, he wouldn't have let you get injured. You could've just waited for some other officers to arrive, but no, you just had to fight back. And I saw it in your eyes, too! You were about to use full force!"

"Listen to yourself, Renji. _He _wasn't about to do anything, so _I _was." However, she contradicted her words with her thoughts. _Hitsugaya__ did save me, even if I didn't need it_. But she knew he wouldn't have struck Momo, and therefore she was on her own.

It didn't take long before they reached the cells. Renji led her to hers and then locked it up. "I'll be back tomorrow to check up on you. They'll probably release you by then, anyway." He paused. "I'll tell Ichigo what happened."

"No!" she yelled with wide eyes.

"Look, they're gonna find out regardless. Better from me than someone else."

"What do you mean by they?" Rukia's expression was wary, and she eyed him curiously.

"Captain Kuchiki, Ichigo, and Captain Ukitake. They'll find out soon, and you should expect a visit from them." With that, he left her to ponder her own thoughts by herself.

_This is stupid_.

Meanwhile, Momo was lead to her cell. She hadn't realized it was Izuru who was escorting her (the other shinigami had left after Izuru informed him he had it under control). "What was going through your head, Momo?" he asked seriously. His voice was soft yet stern, and he wasn't admonishing her until he got the truth. He had learned from past experience that sometimes people had a right to strike. Namely Momo on his former captain.

"She's taking Lil' Shiro away." Her voice was soft and tired as he dragged her into her cell.

"How so?"

"I don't know anymore. Izuru, will you do me a favor?" she asked, looking up to him hopefully. When she saw him nod, she continued. "I want you to visit Rukia and talk to her. Find out how she feels about Hitsugaya. Please, just do this for me, and tell me the truth when you get an answer from her."

* * *

It was morning, and the first one to visit Rukia was Byakuya. Through his usual scrutiny, anger was prevalent. "Explain yourself." He had almost decided not to pay her a visit, and thought that she deserved his cold shoulder, but he knew that was impossible. He couldn't do that to Hisana's sister.

"I was defending myself." She grew tired of this explanation, and her voice showed it clearly. Her eyes were as dull as her brother's and she looked eternally bored.

"On what grounds." Maybe he hadn't heard the full story.

"She attacked me without warning." Well, the fact she even had her zanpakuto unsheathed should've been warning enough, but it wasn't.

"Unacceptable."

Rukia was confused. Was Momo's actions unacceptable, or her own?

"I will discuss this with..." He paused. Even though he had voted for it, he couldn't help but mentally cringe at what he was about to say. "Captain Kurosaki."

A breath released itself from her lungs that she hadn't realized she was holding in. Without any further words, Byakuya left to attend to business.

The next was Ichigo. Of course, he was mad. He was confused, and he was also worried. He'd have to visit two people in jail today--this wasn't something he had been looking forward to. "How you doin'?" Contrary to Byakuya, he _had _heard the full story.

"As good as I can be in this solitary box," she replied sarcastically.

He smirked slightly. "So you think ya would've beat her?"

Rukia returned his grin, but refrained from answering. "How is she? Have you visited her yet?"

"No. That's my next stop. Wanted to check up on you here, first."

Casual conversation continued, and when Ichigo was positive that Rukia'd be fine for the day, he left to go see Momo.

It was safe to say he was infuriated when he entered her prison ward. "Just what the hell was this about, eh?"

Momo looked up to the orange-haired boy with teary eyes. "I just don't...want to lose him." When she received a questioning glare, she continued. "Rukia...and Hitsugaya..." Even she--now--could admit she was paranoid. Why didn't she act like this about Matsumoto? Hell, Matsumoto probably was a bigger threat than Rukia.

"I'm not saying this to you as a shinigami, I'm saying it as someone who cares about Rukia." A pause filled the air. "If you go after her again, you'll have more than just a lecture from me to deal with. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." And the admiration continued. No matter how angry he was at her now, she still looked up to her Aizen replacement.

* * *

"Captain, you should be resting," Rukia stressed when she heard his hoarse coughs.

Ukitake waved her off. "Are you sure you'll be alright in here tonight?" He didn't know why he was asking this; she'd spent a much longer time in a cell before. A day or two wouldn't kill her.

"Yes, I'll be fine." She really wished he'd get some rest. The sickly pale color of his skin worried her.

With a few more casual conversational words, Ukitake took her advice and left.

Renji had followed through with his promise and popped into Rukia's cell for a brief few seconds, and then left.

It had then turned into night, and Rukia sighed at the sight of the moon. Renji had told her they couldn't release her until the next night, so she'd have to deal with it for one more day. This was fine, she guessed. She'd been through worse.

She stared through the single window which had bars blocking part of the view. It was a beautiful night out, and she wished she could be sitting on her usual spot, enjoying it there instead of from a prison cell. Her eyes shifted to the side at the sound of a door opening. Her eyebrows rose slightly at the sight of Hitsugaya. "What do _you _want?"

The 10th Division's Captain walked toward her cell and stood in front of it, staring in at her. "That is no way to speak to your superior."

Rukia's eyes rolled. "Did you come here just to annoy me?"

Letting out a defeated sigh, he shook his head. "No." Pulling a chair from the corner of the room, he sat down and stared through the bars. "How are you doing?"

Everyone seemed to ask her this. "Fine." She mentally laughed at the thought of the emotionless captain trying to make small talk. "How is she?"

"I haven't seen her." Something in his voice told her he wasn't going to, either. His stare never left her, and his thoughts ran wild.

"What?" Rukia started feeling uneasy under his gaze. His eyes looked like they held anger, anger toward her. "You're...mad at me, aren't you?" When she saw his eyes avert away, she jumped up from her chair and gripped the vertical bars. "Who the hell do you think you are?! I've done nothing wrong!" she seethed.

Hitsugaya, too, jumped up. "I know that!" he whispered harshly through clenched teeth. "But you're just..."

"Just. What." Her voice held a deadly tone.

"You've messed everything up." He paused, choosing his next words carefully. "Momo was finally adjusting and getting back to normal, and you..._you_..."

"And that's my fault?! I haven't done anything to the bitch!"

"Hold your tongue, Kuchiki!" he yelled, reminding her of when he visited her at her office.

"Leave."

"No."

Rukia's eyes narrowed vindictively. Twisting abruptly around, she sat back down in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest, and looking away.

This had not gone as Hitsugaya planned. "I'm not mad _at _you," he said, finally breaking the silence. "I'm angry at myself." Surprise surged through him as realization of what he was saying and who he was saying it to set in. He was spilling his innermost thoughts to a girl he barely knew, but at the same time knew inside out. He felt...a draw, a magnetic pull to her, and knew he had to stop the foolish addiction to being close to her. He became silent again, and Rukia still remained giving him the cold shoulder.

He stared off into space, thinking back on every night for the past few months. He knew nothing of Rukia Kuchiki, but all the same, no one knew her better than he. He never admitted to himself that the reason he finished his work early was to be able to sit under the stars. By her. With her. His eyes quickly shifted to her motionless form, and without a word, he left. God, had he actually allowed her to become a friend? The thought of a social life was somewhat frightening, and he knew he had to stop this. It was unhealthy to be able to tell your feelings to someone. He could _talk _to her without forcing--much--thought on it. Hitsugaya did not have friends. He had subordinates, co-workers, partners...but certainly nothing else. And he was sure that, if there was _anything _other than that, it was the relationship he held with Momo. His childhood friend, who he had vowed to watch over.

And now, Rukia. What was she? He couldn't possibly consider her a..._companion_. His brows furrowed in agitation. This was positively and absolutely ridiculous. Rukia Kuchiki was a subordinate, and that's all she was. There was no _friend_. She did _not _make him mentally smile at how easily she got mad, she did _not _make him want to tell her that he was impressed on how she carried herself. And he most certainly did not want to tell her that she was probably the most tolerable person to be around that he'd ever met.

* * *

Rukia heard footsteps a few minutes later and sighed through her frustration. "What do you want now, Hitsugaya?" she snapped and turned around. She instantly recoiled and widened her eyes. "Lieutenant Izuru..." This was...shocking? Yes, shocking.

"Hello," he greeted warmly. He still couldn't believe he was doing this. But he owed Momo and still felt guilty about attacking her the day they found Aizen's "body." So now, he was making it up to her. He sat down in the chair and stared in at her awkwardly.

"So...it's nice to see you?" Why the hell was he visiting her? She didn't know him like that. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that they had a mutual friend (Renji), then she would hardly ever see him at all.

And then something clicked. _He's Momo's friend. _Maybe he was apologizing on her behalf? By how nervous he looked, she assumed as much. "What can I do for you, lieutenant?"

He raised his hands in front of him. "Please, just Izuru." When he saw her nod, he pondered on how to go about this. "So, I heard about the incident."

Rukia's eyes rolled. That's what everyone called it. The Incident. It had its own name by now.

Izuru Kira saw the nerve that struck and decided to approach her differently. "I guess you're wondering why I'm here." He smiled slightly. "Well, I guess," he scratched the back of his head, "I just wanted to get to know you better. I don't have any work for tonight and tomorrow--"

Rukia couldn't help but find that to be a lie. With no captain, he was sure to have butt loads.

"So I hope you don't mind if I spend my time in here for most of the day. You're going to be released at 5 in the evening tomorrow, so I thought you'd like some company."

Rukia listened to him ramble on...and on...and on. "Sure," she forced and scanned his expression.

"So how's life?" he asked causally.

"Well, apart from having an angry Momo trying to kill me, my two best friends trying to lead my life, and rumors spreading throughout the Sereitei about me and the Captain of the 10th Division...good," she replied jokingly.

"Ah, I heard about that. Some people believe it's true, but most of us just think it's the most far fetched thing we've ever heard," he laughed. When he realized that sounded like a minor insult, his eyes widened. "Oh, no! Not that you aren't capable of being with someone...just that, well, Captain Hitsugaya...he's not the most emotionally inclined person."

Rukia laughed, whole-heartedly this time, and nodded her head in agreement. "He definitely is a cold bastard!" she yelled to the ceiling, hoping he could hear her if he was nearby.

Izuru looked toward her warifly. "Yeah..." There was no denying how strongly she hated Hitsugaya, but he couldn't help but notice she reminded him of an angry wife that caught her husband staring at another woman. His head shook that thought. _Maybe...Momo wasn't so crazy __after all__._

* * *

**A/N:** I hated writing this chapter for some reason. It didn't turn out how I wanted at all...but it's better than nothing. And, it did have a bit of a relationship development on Hitsugaya's part...now to brainwash them both so they can fall in love :D

Once again, a huge thanks to Saint Sky, mah taicho, for being my lovely beta. She's the best and never misses a thing. Oh, and she also pointed out that Rukia might be coming across as somewhat bitchy, so I'll have to do something to fix that.

And a huge sorry note to all the Momo-haters, but she will not remain the evil, vindictive villain throughout the story. She'll be brought back into character once Hitsugaya and Rukia get closer.

Thanks in advance to those who read and review (: -Ami


	5. Adjustment

**Starry Night**

_Adjustment_

Rukia's eyes opened slowly, taking in the light that shone through her cell's window. She had slept surprisingly well on the small cot. Stretching her arms into the air, she yawned. She ran her fingers through her hair, combing out the knots and de-frazzling it. She stood up and sighed. She'd get to leave at 5 tonight, and was counting down the hours. Although, she didn't particularly look forward to going to see her brother. That was just one talk she did _not _want to have. He was the only person who was still angry at her. Even after he'd been told by everyone that she was defending herself, he didn't care. Any implication toward Rukia was an implication toward him. When one Kuchiki was incriminated, the whole noble family looked bad. Or at least, in his eyes.

Sitting down on her chair, she stared up at the ceiling. "Oh, good morning," a voice called. Rukia looked forward and caught sight of Izuru. _He was serious…? There's something going on. Since he's taking on the duties of his captain, he should have no free time like this. _"I brought you something to eat, just in case you didn't like the jail food. I didn't," he laughed and handed her a bag of food through the bars.

She took it willingly, and found that there was nice breakfast food from the cafeteria inside. She began digging around. "So, Izuru… Are you ever going to tell me why you're really here?" she asked casually.

"Uhm… What do you…?"

Rukia stopped looking through her foods and glanced to the blond. "I don't mean to pry, but… Isn't the duty of a lieutenant without his captain hard? I'm only asking, because on the days that Captain Ukitake is sick, I have to take over his work, and… It's pretty time-consuming."

"Oh, well this week has actually gone by pretty easy. The workload is surprisingly less," he lied, imagining the stacks of paperwork while he spoke. "If you don't want me to stay…"

Rukia's eyes lit up, and she hoped she hadn't offended him. "Not at all. I could use some company actually. Might go insane." As if a month in the Repentance Cell hadn't done enough… "So, how is Hinamori Momo doing?"

"She's alright. She actually feels terrible about the whole ordeal." His smile had faded. "I know you probably don't believe me, but… She doesn't hate you. I stopped by her cell this morning to talk with her. She's just scared of losing another person. She lost Aizen, and she thinks she's losing Captain Hitsugaya. And when Ichigo showed up to her cell yesterday, she thought she might lose him, too. She looks up to him like a girl looks up to her father," he laughed. He then returned to being serious. "She wanted me to tell you something."

Rukia took everything in silently. She knew Momo had gone through a lot, and thinking back on it now, she thought that maybe she should have been more sensitive. Rukia had a short temper at times. She sighed regretfully.

"She wanted to say she's sorry, and that she realized hating you has only driven the ones she care for further away."

Rukia nodded. "Well tell her I said to forget about it, it's no big deal." She paused. "Oh, and tell her that if she punches Ichigo in the stomach when he's being unreasonable, he'll listen."

Izuru smiled and let out a short chortle. "So I gotta confess. Momo hired me to come here."

Rukia smiled back playfully. "I kind of knew that."

"But I really don't have much work." He'd spent nearly the entire night working. "So I'll stay if you don't mind."

"Nope," Rukia replied and leaned back against her chair. She sighed. "What time is it?"

"Noon."

"Five more hours," she breathed thankfully. After Izuru chuckled, and awkward silence fell between the two. A thought struck Rukia, and she didn't know whether to voice it aloud or not… "So… Gin Ichimaru… He must have been a pretty odd captain to have." She would've killed herself if he had been her captain.

"He wasn't as bad as you think he was. Just like the other two who betrayed Soul Society, he was a great captain. A little odd, though."

"How so?" She hated that she kept prying, because she could tell it struck a nerve with Izuru, but Gin…she hated that man.

"Everything he said always made you think. You could say the sky is blue, and he would reply quirkily with some kind of response that made you doubt yourself. I like him because he didn't view life as 'yes' and 'no' or 'right' and 'wrong.' He was very smart…"

Rukia shivered at how Izuru spoke of his former captain. So idolizing and adoring… How could anyone look up to a man so vile and sick… Someone who could shatter your composure with one simple question, someone who could get inside your head, make you break down and scream… She hated him so much. "You really looked up to him," she interrupted, staring into space.

"I did," he emphasized. "But I detest any traitors of Soul Society."

"Excuse me, lieutenants." Both set of eyes turned to Hitsugaya Toushiro.

"Oh, good morning, Captain." Izuru stood up.

"May I speak to Lieutenant Kuchiki in private?" he asked passionlessly.

"Of course. Uh, see ya later Rukia." With that, he left the two alone.

Rukia stared forward, from her chair, somewhat awkwardly. Why did he come back? Hadn't she made it clear last night that she was angry with him? _After all, he's angry with me for no good reason. _Funny that the root of the problem, Momo, was fixed, and the external variables were still out of whack. But she had been penitent of one thing - her lack of respect. She had addressed him countless times without any title, and she had disrespected her superior. No matter how much she detested the asshole, she had to uphold the Kuchiki name and act her place. "Good afternoon, Captain," she greeted reservedly.

Hitsugaya knew she was still angry, and he also knew she had realized she had been acting out of her rank in the way she spoke to him. Still, he oddly preferred her yelling and bickering than her calm, forceful politeness. It made him feel…like a jerk. But he would never voice such a thought. He had to keep telling her to address him by his title, or as sir if she slipped up. "Good afternoon."

"Did you…wish to speak with me?" she asked with mock curiosity. She knew damn well he wanted to talk to her, otherwise he wouldn't have came. But that didn't mean she could have a little fun at the dispense of his inability to engage in conversation.

He knew what game she was playing. At least she was talking to him. Though, he knew she couldn't--even if she wanted to--ignore him and give him the cold shoulder. He was in the position of power over her, and she had to comply. He sat down in the chair outside of her cell, a sense of déjà vu setting in. "I wanted to tell you that I was out of line yesterday. Well, not out of line, but…wrong. Like I said, I wasn't angry at you. I shouldn't have said some of those things."

"_You've messed up everything."_

"_Momo was finally adjusting and getting back to normal, and you…you…"_

Rukia wouldn't lie to herself. The words hurt, but only slightly. She hadn't felt sorry for messing up Momo's adjustment at the time. But she had hurt Hitsugaya… "But you meant them. And that's fine, because it was true." She didn't know if her next statement would be too bold or not. "But you must know that I didn't mess up anything intentional. It _was _Momo's fault."

"I agree."

"Have you gone to see her yet?"

"No. I'm going to wait until she gets out."

Rukia stared into his eyes, both pairs holding the same level of emotionlessness. "Don't be angry with her. She's already apologized."

"I knew she would once she realized what she was doing." His fist tightened. If it weren't for Aizen… If he had never walked into Momo's life…

Rukia had a pretty good idea of what was going through his head. Silence passed, and if felt like the nights under the stars. Rukia glanced down at the paper bag and picked it up. "Want some fruit?" she asked casually, plucking an apple of her own from the bag.

Hitsugaya's eyes softened slightly. "No." But his voice was still stern and authoritarian. He watched as Rukia at the apple gingerly, and as she narrowed her eyes.

"What're you looking at?" she inquired harshly before she could think about what she was saying.

Hitsugaya returned her glare. "Excuse me?"

Rukia had a thought. And this thought was…genius. Would Hitsugaya do anything? Would he go so far as to punish her? What would the repercussions be if she got an attitude with him? She stood up, dropping her apple into the bag, and walked over to the bars, standing her ground without apologizing.

Hitsugaya stood up as well and approached the bars. "Don't think that anything's changed, _lieutenant_. I am still your superior."

Rukia showed no sign in caring. The proximity was almost close enough to feel the breath of the person on the other side of the bars. "You're actually taller than someone for once," she mocked in an indifferent voice.

"And what does that say about you?" he asked with amusement in his eyes. The faintest of grins spread to his lips when he saw her face light up in shock and morph into anger.

Rukia gripped the bars tightly, pulling herself closer. "You're lucky there's bars between us!"

His eyebrows remained raised in entertainment. "Or what? You would attack me?"

Rukia's eyes turned to slits as her eyelids came together. She glared daggers at the white-haired Shinigami. Her grip on the metal bars tightened. Why was he so frustrating? And better yet, why couldn't anyone realize how frustrating he could be?! Everyone was so used to cold, emotionless Captain Hitsugaya. No one, except maybe Momo, saw his other side. The side that held sarcasm, humor, _emotion_. No one saw him as a bratty, mean little midget but her.

Hitsugaya couldn't believe this. Why wasn't anyone here to witness this? She was standing up to a captain! Where was Byakuya, who knew she was so closely in resemblance to him. Where were the other captains, who viewed her as a slightly timorous and reserved type of girl? Couldn't they see that she was a wild, evil little midget?! Maybe Ichigo and Renji were used to it, but he wasn't. The nerve she had… His hands gripped the bars above her own.

"Is there something I can help you with?" she asked with too much politeness. Neither had blinked in so long, it involuntarily became a contest.

"Could you possibly act like a lieutenant, and not a god?"

"Ha! You think _I _act high and mighty? And what about you?" Rukia continued to hold his stare. There was this feeling inside her… Her stomach churned, and she could feel the blood draining from her face. She swallowed the lump in her throat, and thought it sounded all too loud in the quiet jail. There was a pull…

Before either could think about what was beginning to happen, it happened. Both leaned forward simultaneously, only and inch, and their lips met. Rukia felt hands wrap around hers, pressing them even more tightly to the bars. Their lips rubs gently together at first, and then more urgently, more hungrily.

Rukia felt lost, in a swirl of blackness. She was lifted from the ground, and suddenly nothing mattered. Hitsugaya could relate. But being the person he was, he snapped from the makeshift reverie first and pulled back.

As the kiss broke, Rukia's eyes widened, and her eyeballs would have fallen from their sockets had they not been intact. She restrained herself from licking her lips, feeling that it would be inappropriate at an awkward time like this. What just happened? Moreover, _why _had it happened? Her chest heaved as she steadied her breath again.

Hitsugaya stared in disbelief at her, and he was angry… He was furious at himself, not for kissing her…but for not regretting it. He should be kicking himself for doing such a thing. He should be fuming that he would lose control and do something like that. But he wasn't. He enjoyed every second of it. And that wasn't right. They couldn't be together. A captain and a lieutenant just didn't… It wouldn't work. He was the first one to speak. "I think it's best if we don't…see each other outside of business." With that, he turned and left.

Rukia, instead of feeling angry, felt somewhat empty. He…left? He just left like that? She blinked a few times. Maybe he was right. It would be best. _Think of the complications… _Byakuya would have a fit, and Renji and Ichigo would only be more nosy than before. And Momo, what would it do to her? She couldn't…

_Are you going to live your life for others, or for yourself, Kuchiki? _a voice resonated against her thoughts.

"K… Kaien-dono?" she whispered in a gasp. Was it really him talking, or her own thoughts?

_I thought I told you to stop worrying so much about what others think. Still too hard-headed to listen, eh?_

"I'm… I don't… I'm not worried about what they think."

_Then why are you happy he left?_

"I'm not, but… It's better."

_For who?_

Rukia froze, and her thoughts were returned to her own voice. For who? She sat in her chair again, pondering. "It doesn't matter for who. He's already made up his mind." Her expression hardened. "This is stupid! Why am I sitting here like a teenage girl worrying over some guy? I don't need anybody!" she assured herself, tired with her own antics.

"You always say that, even though you know it's a lie," called a smug voice.

Rukia looked up to see Ichigo leaned against the door with his arms folded across his chest. He shrugged from the partition and walked over to the cell. "So what's all this yelling about? Something happen?"

Rukia, slightly embarrassed he heard her, wondered how _much _he heard. "Not really," she tried to play if off.

"Well, I passed Hitsugaya on the way here. He looked the same, but something seemed different about him…" He took a seat and stared at her through the bars. "Rukia, I know when you're lying."

Damn his ability to know her so well. She didn't want to tell him, but she didn't want to make up something either. And knowing Ichigo, he would get it out of her sooner or later… "Well…" God this felt awkward. "I swear to God, Ichigo if you tell anyone--!"

"Relax. I won't." He sat back leisurely.

Rukia stared boredly at the comfortable man and sat in her chair again. "Captain Hitsugaya stopped by." She saw Ichigo nod. "And we…"

Ichigo's eyes lit up in realization. "What!" he yelled. "You didn't… Augh, Rukia."

Rukia frowned. "He said that it would be best if we not see each other."

Ichigo could hear the faint sound of hurt in her voice. That bastard. He had warned him… He had warned him that if he ever hurt Rukia, he wouldn't let it go. But he wouldn't act up in front of Rukia. He knew she'd only get angry and throw something at him. He would wait until she got out tonight, and then he'd pay a visit to Hitsugaya.

And the last thing Hitsugaya wanted was a confrontation on top of dealing with the events and emotions that transpired with Rukia.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Wow, long time since my last update, huh? Sorry about that. I haven't had internet (and still don't) for a while now. And I've started up so many stories without finishing the ones I've already started - that's my bad habit. Anyway, a huge thanks to my beta, **Saint Sky**, 'cause she rocks.

Uhm, about this chapter: I was really, and I mean really, unsure about the kiss. I thought it was WAY too early, therefore I threw in the hole "well we shouldn't see each other" thing so they can have a little bit of distance to equal out the rush. I hope I didn't get anyone too out of character. Rukia's character is hard to nail, in my eyes. That's why I love her.

Thanks for being so patient and submitting your comments! **-Ami**


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